Marine propelling device



Sept. 30, 1941 R MCCOMBIE 2,257,698

MARINE PROPELLING DEVICE Filed Nov. 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VENTOR. Ja /V A. 2% (OMB/E,

Sept. 30, 1941 J. R. MOCOMBIE MARINE PROPELLING DEVI CE Filed Nov. 27,1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR'. Jaw ALMC COMB/E,

Patented Sept. 30, 1941 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE MARINE PROPELLINGDEVICE John R. MoCombie, Newark, N. J. Application November 27, 1940,Serial No. 367,469 (o1. 115--2a) 1 Claim.

The present invention is an improvement in marine propelling devices andis more particularly concerned with manually operable paddle wheelsadaptable for use upon all types of small boats. l

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a durableand inexpensive marine propulsion mechanism which is readily adaptablefor use upon small boats and which mechanism does not require anyalterations to the hull in the mounting and use of the same upon theboat.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved formof paddle wheel which is of a light but durable construction and directsthe flow of water adjacent thereto away from the boat supporting thepaddle wheel.

An equally important object of the present invention is to provide aboat propelling mechanism which can be simply and quickly mounted uponsmall boats of all types and which eliminates the need for a rudder forsteering the boat.

Further objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in partpointed out in the following detailed description of the drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an exterior side view of a paddle Wheel according to thepresent invention as mounted upon a portion of a boat hull.

Fig. 2 is a top view of a portion of a boat hull having a pair of paddlewheels with driving and supporting mechanism mounted thereon.

Fig. 3 is a front cross sectional View taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figs.2 and 3, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of a modification of the supportingmembers for the paddle wheel propelling mechanism.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings whereinlike and corresponding numerals designate similar elements, numeral lrefers generally to a boat having gunwales 2 mounted upon the sidesthereof. Numeral 3 refers to the seat to be used by the person operatingthe propelling device. As shOWn in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, each of thegunwales 2 have an elongated plate 5 firmly secured thereto by a pair ofscrews 1. The central portion of plate 5 is enlarged and has a bore 6formed laterally therethrough.

Extending through said bore 6 is a crankshaft 8, which crankshaft 8 isbent obliquely as at 9 and further bent as at ill to form an offsetportion upon which is mounted a pedal I2, said pedal l2 being retainedupon the portion ID by a flange H formed upon the end of the crankshaft.The opposite end I4 of the crankshaft is threaded and has mountedthereon a retaining nut 15 which coacts with a fixed flange l3 forretaining the crankshaft in position with regard to plate 5.

A further pair of supporting plates I6 and H, which whenplaced one uponthe other surround and form a support for the portion of crankshaft 8adjacent the oblique portion 9 thereof, are supported at'each end by apair of arms I8 and at the medial portion thereof by a third arm 20.Nuts and bolts l9 which retain the bearing plates l6 and I! together areused for connecting the same to the arms I8. Said arms l8 are supportedby connection to the gunwale 2 while arm 2|] is connected to one of theboat frames 4.

A slightly concave disc 26 is supported upon threaded end M of thecrankshaft 8 and retained thereon by a pair of nuts 22 and 23, each ofwhich is mounted upon an opposite side of the disc 26. Radiallyextending from the outer or concave face, as shown in Fig. 3 of thedrawings, of the disc 26 are a plurality of paddles 21, each of which isfixedly connected to the face of disc 26.

In assembling the present propelling mechanism upon any type of boathull, all that is required is that the plate 5 be securely fastened tothe boat gunwale in any given manner, depending upon the character andshape of the gunwale, while the arms l8 each may be fastened to the sideof the gunwale 2 with the third arm 20 being firmly fastened to a sidemember of the hull, such as for example, the frame 4 as shown. Thepreferable position for the entire mechanism is the center of the hullwith each of the crankshafts 8 of a pair of the devices being positioneddiametrically opposite one another. It is to be appreciated that thepropelling mecha nism is merely detachably positioned upon the hull andcan be removed therefrom Without injury or alteration to the boat.

In operating the present device, after a pair of the same have beenmounted upon a boat hull, the operator can position himself upon theseat 3 or like support and apply each of his feet or hands to one of thepedals l2. The operator then is in a position to rotate the pedal l2 aswell as w the crankshaft 8 which is rotatably supported within the bore6 and between the plates l6 and I l at two separated points for a firmsupport thereof. The disc 26, being connected to crankshaft 8 by thetightening of nuts 22 and 23 against the disc 26, will therefore rotatesimulthe boat gunwale by screws 33.

taneously with the crankshaft 8, thus applying thepaddles 21 in rapidsuccession to the water adjacent the boat hull for creating a propellingmovement of the boat. By altering the relative speeds of the opposingcrankshafts 8, the craft can be readily steered, especially due to thecentral position with regard to the boat hull of said crankshaft 8.Further, either or both of the crankshafts 8 can be reversely rotatedfor changing the direction of travel. Attention is directed to theconcave formation of each of the discs 26 which during their rotation,introduce each of the paddles 21 into the water at a slight angle fromthe perpendicular, thereby carrying the water therewith and directingthe movement of the water away from the boat hull upon the emerging ofthe paddles, thereby preventing the occupants of the boat from beingvwetted and thus eliminating the need for shields or the like for thepaddle Wheels.

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of bearing support for use with thecrankshaft 8 and which may be more readily applied to certain types ofhulls than that shown in the principal form of the invention. Thecrankshaft 8 is supported by a plate 30 upon which is superimposed asecond plate 3!, both plates being firmly connected to Saidplate 3| hasan arched portion 32 through which the crankshaft 8 extends. A pair ofarms 34 support and are'connected to plates [6 and I! by means of bolts19 at one end and are connected to plate 30 at their opposite end byscrews 35. In this manner, crankshaft 8 is given a twopoint support withthe supporting members being connected to the boat gunwale through twobolts or the like 33.

The modified form of support permits the crankshaft 8 to be operated ina similar manner to the principal form as hereinbefore described.

The present invention is capable of considerable modification and suchchanges thereto as come within the scope of the appended claim aredeemed to be a part of the present invention.

I claim:

it manually propelling device for boats having a pair of spaced gunwalescomprising in combination a bearing detachably connected to eachgunwale, a crankshaft journalled in each bearing, a pedal connected tothe inner end of each crankshaft, a paddle wheel connected to the outerend of each crankshaft and retained in spaced relation with the outersides of the boat,

each paddle wheel consisting of a concave disc, radially extendingpaddles secured to the outer concave face of each disc, the outerextremities JOHN R. Macon/ham.

